Lessons of the Ego
Darkmount - Simulator As awe-inspiring as the walls and tower of Darkmount are, and how well they instill the sense of Decepticon militarism and industry, they are far from the only signs, if the most obvious. Within the tower on the 99th floor is one room that can be anywhere and anyone it wants to be. Cavernously large and covered walls, ceiling, and floor in reflective metal tiles, the simulator is an ideal training ground for weapons, recruits, or veterans looking to hone their skills. The training room. Yes, the dreaded training room - not to be confused with the Danger Room. Or the Panic Room. Or the Green Room. Or the Family Room. The training room. Blitzwing is in the training room, awaiting the arrival of one particular Combaticon - his newly christened drinking buddy, whether or not the sentiment is reciprocated. Blast Off enters, looking rather dubious about this whole thing. He'd REALLY prefer not to be here, but Blitzwing outranks him... so, here he is. He fully intends to complain to Onslaught later, however. Blitzwing will also beat the shit out of Onslaught. You can 4th wall that to the bank. "Blast Off, git your skidplate in here. I don't have all day." Blitzwing stalks over to the control console, and begins to browse through pre-programmed selections, though not finding anything satisfying to his particular taste or fancy. Blast Off sighs and does as told. He isn't going to look very happy about it, though. Blitzwing grows increasingly disgruntled with the options presented to him by the control console, stabbing a thick finger at it and probably hitting like five buttons all at the same time. Eventually Blitzwing pounds a fist on the face of the terminal with a groan. Turning to Blast Off, he sighs, "ANYWAY, I called you in here because I'm going to recommend you for a promotion - well, I /will/. I want you to prove to me that not only do you deserve it, but that you /want/ it. Capiche?" Blast Off blinks. He looks momentarily surprised, then the mask of haughty confidence returns. "Well, it's about time someone recognized my skills! ...What did you have in mind? Shouldn't I prove myself in actual battle, then?" Blitzwing grunts. "Yeah well apparently your boss is too busy writing scribble on 3x5 notecards to notice. And you don't tape pages from your coloring books to the fridge. So," he returns to the console, counts to himself 10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1..., happy place, happy place, brothel, happy place, harem... sigh. Okay. "What I have in mind will more than suffice for actual combat. Or you can try and beat me? Shut up." Blitzwing browses options again, selects 'Custom'. He then selects 'Subgroup: Aerialbot'. He then selects 'Air Maid'. 'Environment: Y/N?' 'Y' 'Hoth'. "Stand by." The entire simulation room ripples with a shimmer not unlike aurora borealis, shifting to an inhospitable world of cold, snow, and ice. Blizzards rage all about. Blast Off starts to protest regarding the digs at his teammates.... "What? He is a *brilliant* tactician!..." ..and "Well, Brawl is...special, but he is *very effective* when we need a tank, you know..." but the shuttleformer does shut up at the "shut up" command. He doesn't want to admit it, but he doesn't particularly want to fight Blitzwing. Blast Off has a giant ego -but he is not suicidal. Looking around, he makes note of the new "enviroment". "....Very well. Why this place?" Heavy winds howls all around, nearly enough to topple your average mech and easily enough to make flying pretty damn difficult. Frost begins to form on armor in all the worst places. A figure materializes in the distance. It's indeed Air Raid upon closer inspection, torque rifle in hand, expression vacant. He advances on Blast Off, lifting his weapon, "Because it's dangerous." Combat: Air Raid sets his defense level to Fearless. Combat: Air Raid strikes Blast Off with his Laser attack! Blitzwing transforms into a Leopard 2A6M tank. Blast Off suddenly spots the fake Air Raid, but not before the fake takes a shot at him, hitting him as he reflexively swings his arms up to shield himself. His heat shields take most of the damage, but it's still unwelcome.... he'll have to get the heat shield tiles painstakingly repaired later- always a drag. "Gah, let me guess, the first lesson is to be on my guard? If this was REAL, I would have been! ...But what's done is done, so...." He brings up his ionic blaster and fires, commenting: "Hmmm, he looks just as ugly as the real Air Raid." Combat: Blast Off sets his defense level to Aggressive. Leopard 2A6M shifts forms fluidly as the arena is swept up under a white blanket. He surveys the fight in his most heavily armored mode to 1) guard against the elements, 2) protect himself as best he can from stray weapons fire. "Don't let me down, Challenger." Combat: Blast Off strikes Air Raid with his Back At You! (Laser) attack! Air Raid takes the shot pretty mechanically. Of course he would. He continues to stalk forward through the simulated snow, optics notably red instead of blue. This time he charges up the torque function on his rifle, and fires 80,000 psi of rotational force at the Combaticon, wordless. Combat: Air Raid misses Blast Off with his Torque Rifle attack! Leopard 2A6M 's turret travels from one combatant to the other, as though the barrel served as his one good optic. As Air Raid misses, Blitzwing remarks, "That's a crazy-accurate simulation!" Blast Off evades the strike! "Of course I will not! My agility is beyond dispute, Blitzwing! I can dodge attacks like these all day!" He leaps to the side and swings his ionic blaster again, this time upping the setting. "And my shooting skills are above reproach as well!", he sniffs, and fires at the 'Bot again, fully expecting to hit. Combat: Blast Off strikes Air Raid with his I'm amazing and it's time everyone acknowledged it! attack! Air Raid's shoulder armor is seered clean off and left smoking. He doesn't wince, though he does somehow manage to appear more angry. Springing into the air, he twists into his jet mode and flies into the screaming wind, though it buffets him around a bit. A pair of sidewinders are set upon Blast Off and fired with little hesitance. Air Raid shifts and twists into his black F-15E Strike Eagle mode. Combat: F-15E Strike Eagle strikes Blast Off with his Sidewinder Missiles attack! Combat: Air Raid uses up a charge on his EAGLE TALONS booster pack! Combat: You are very aware that your life is in danger! Combat: F-15E Strike Eagle 's attack has damaged your Strength! Blast Off is so busy gloating about how wonderful he is that he fails to notice Air Raid's next attack in time- and it costs him. Spotting the missiles, even his quick reflexes don't get him out of the way in time. The missiles tear through the Combaticon's armor. If this is a simulation, it sure hurts like SLAG. He staggers back, then gains some footing and leaps at Air Raid, trying to fire some short bursts at the 'Bot with his blaster. Combat: Blast Off sets his defense level to Protected. Combat: Blast Off strikes F-15E Strike Eagle with his Painful awakings (Pistol) attack! F-15E Strike Eagle earns some hearty shots to the left wing, which destroys one of his missile pylons. He rounds to try and locate Blast Off through the heavy snow, but something else draws his attention. The tank. "Your turn," the simulation almost growls as more missiles break away from his remaining pylon. Combat: F-15E Strike Eagle strikes Leopard 2A6M with his Sparrow Missiles attack! -3 Blast Off is still hurting, and sensing he may not make it a lot longer, decides to go for the big guns. He transforms into his space shuttle mode and flies up as high as he can go (he does like everyone to be able to truly appreciate the full effect, after all...particularly in the sense of allowing his enemies to see the orbital attack coming. Be afraid, be very afraid, yes!!!.... A blue light eminates from the shuttle and he launches the attack! With a disdainful shrug, Blast Off transforms into a space shuttle. Leopard 2A6M is riddled with explosions, but thanks to both ablative and reinforced armor, remains relatively unaffected. "The simulation has gotten bored with you, Blast Off! Do I need to beat it into submission with your unconcious body?" Combat: Space Shuttle strikes F-15E Strike Eagle with his DOWN WITH YOU attack! F-15E Strike Eagle gets slammed into the snow by the sheer impact of the blazing laserfire, the beams melting metal alongside ice. He lies there smoldering for a moment, then fires up what's left of his thrusters to drag himself into the air again. It's quite hard to get a bead on Blast Off from this height. Combat: F-15E Strike Eagle misses Space Shuttle with his Laser attack! Space Shuttle is very satisfied to see the attack hit. He has quite the sense of professional pride in his work, and is also very aware of being watched and evaluated. Not only is Blitzwing judging him here, but who knows how word of a poor performance might get around the Decepticon ranks? Of course, he is *Blast Off* and he doesn't *DO* poor performances...no, not at all. But, still.....he transforms back to his root mode and flies back down for a closer shot at Air Raid. He looks to Blitzwing. "I DON'T think he's bored NOW." Blast Off shifts into his battle-ready robot mode. Combat: Blast Off sets his defense level to Protected. Combat: Blast Off strikes F-15E Strike Eagle with his Look who's laughing Now (Laser) attack! Combat: F-15E Strike Eagle falls to the ground, unconscious. F-15E Strike Eagle receives another strafing of laserfire and it's all his simulated systems can take. He goes down in a smoldering fireball and crashes heavily into a snow bank, flickering a few times before vanishing completely. Combat: Air Raid resets himself. Blitzwing transforms into his robot mode. Air Raid vanishes out of reality. Air Raid has left. Combat: Your stats have been reset by an administrator. Combat: Blast Off resets himself. Leopard 2A6M rumbles over to the control console, erupting into robot mode thereafter. Blitzwing slaps a fist down on the console while simultaneously hollaring up to Blast Off, running his other hand across his neck, "Kill it! Simulation's over." Blast Off stands tall (for him), crossing his arms and looking as haughty as ever. "See? My skills are an invaluable asset to the Decepticons. Autobots cannot withstand my orbital attack for long. ...If they don't simply succcumb to my ionic blaster first." Blitzwing waves a dismissive hand at Blast Off while also hitting a few keys on the control panel to power down the training room. "You keep that up, your head may not make it through the door." Blast Off hmphs. "Are you implying something, Blitzwing? Should I not be proud of my skills? Should I act like some meek Autobot and practice false modesty? That is hardly becoming of someone of my skill set and station. I am the sharpshooting sniper of the Combaticons and I have every right to be proud!" Blitzwing actually laughs. "Only that there are obvious reasons that Decepticons don't play well with others. And we have a rather gruesome promotion process. You put two and two together... let me know what that adds up to. Keep your skills sharp. With your mouth and attitude, you'll need it when you get bumpbed up the chain." Blast Off 's vents hiss very softly. "Perhaps. But I am strong, and I also have my team, and together we are even stronger." He stops and fixes Blitzwing with a cool stare while considering his words. "So... you imply I will be "bumped up the chain", then?" Blitzwing holds his hands up as if to slow Blast Off down. "Cool your jets, Challenger. I said I'd recommend you for promotion. Nothing more. It may come as a surprise to you, but I don't go around complimenting folks very often. That being said, I think you've been performing well. We have enough peons in the aerospace division. Hell, we took down Sky Lynx!" Blitzwing begins to move toward the training facility door, stopping short to impart knowledge on the 'young' Combaticon. "Alright, so listen here - you may not like me - and your opinion doesn't matter. And no one cares. Why? Because I'm better than you. And when you go down for a recharge tonight - ask yourself why." Blast Off listens, still crossing his arms, and his head jerks back occasionally in an affronted manner, or a nod of agreement...but the last few sentences leave him at a loss for words. He just stares at Blitzwing in a slightly sullen manner. Finally, he responds, "...I will be thinking of a great many things, I assure you." Blitzwing says, "Good. And keep thinking. It's the only thing that's going to keep you from going the way of Starscream." Blitzwing walks out of the training room, ending the conversation.